Speechless
by FantaOrange
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke's romance blooms upon his return to Konoha, but so many want them dead, not to mention Kabuto and Danzo. A story of Sasuke's acceptance of his love for Naruto and the trials they face together. NaruSasu, more pairings inside. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

* * *

Sasuke was angry. He had never been so angry in his life, never in living memory. It was ridiculous, but he couldn't recall feeling such barely contained fury towards Itachi, or Orochimaru or Haku or anyone else he had ever encountered. It was uncontrollable, he could feel himself about to lash out, desperate to taste blood and gain satisfaction from his action. The fury swelled up inside of him, until in ricochet off of one person to another until he felt prepared to murder anyone, no matter how innocent they were.

It took its effect on his body. The experience was entirely new: his ice froze to ice, solid and arctic within him, while the rest of his body burned so hot it was almost unbearable. The contrast in temperatures compelled him to shiver, but he could not muster the energy. At the same time, he was exhilarated and his muscles were all bunched up, ready to strike at any given moment. His eyes grew sore; he had not blinked for what felt like hours and they were dry and staring and his jaw was defiantly set to conceal the grinding of his teeth.

It made no sense, and frightened him, although he denied this to himself. With Itachi, his rage had always been blistering, a live wire of aggression and violence and only now did he realise that Itachi had been so close to blameless, his feelings were quite different, but he was still passionate with them. To Orochimaru, Sasuke had made a point of being frigid, to ward off the older, leering Sannin, and even when he had killed his mentor, it had been with a kind of cool detachment. And with Haku, Sasuke couldn't tell what he had felt, other than the unfamiliar, unwelcome and irrational anger that comes with protecting a precious person.

None of the turmoil he was battling in his head and heart showed on his face, he knew, except perhaps for a light flush on his cheeks and - if he was being careless - a darkening at his eyes, which also made them seem brighter and more active. Years of schooling his features, in the Uchiha way, left him with a confidence whenever he needed to appear calm and unconcerned. The only expression on his face would be the usual one of superiority.

There was very little he could do about how he felt, at any rate. His hands were bound in chakra-contstraining chains and he had been injected on his left arm with some thick, syrupy substance, that slowed his movements without making him feel lethargic or drowsy. The most he could do was send a glare at his captor, but he couldn't bear to even look at the man.

Treachery. That was the only other emotion that he was aware of, along with the burning fury he was nursing. He might have called it a sense of betrayal if he had been more personal, more intimate with Kabuto but he knew they would never be either of those things. All he knew - all that mattered - was that he had struck a bargain with Kabuto, and the weedy, pathetic little man had tricked him and turned him over to the Village Hidden in the Leaf.

They travelled in a rickety horse-drawn cart through the forest where Kabuto had somehow overpowered Sasuke, with the help of three Orochimaru-loyal slaves. Kabuto was the only one in the cart with him, and they were covered by an canopy of animal hide. Two of Kabuto's lackeys sat up front, posing as farmer and son, while the other travelled ahead, in case they bumped into trouble. The Akatsuki wouldn't let go of Sasuke without a fight, after all.

Unwillingly, Sasuke was mildly impressed. He had spent months with Kabuto, planning his attack on Danzou - his main priority, ever since Itachi's death and Madaras' revelations - and Kabuto's attack on Akatsuki, who he blamed primarily for Orochimaru's demise. Not once did he suspect Kabuto was capable of doing this to him, no matter how much he may have wanted to. The medic-nin had been successful at hiding his true motives, which was surprising.

It was clear now that Kabuto had been planning for months, possible since Orochimaru's murder, the betrayal had went so smoothly. He had arranged an exchange with the leaf; Sasuke in return for Kabuto's own safety, it ensured he would be protected from the other villages. They would meet half-way between Leaf and Sound, with an ANBU squad, where Sasuke would be handed over - as if he was some kind of object, the idea enraged him further - and Kabuto would be handed the necessary permits and licenses to travel freely wherever he pleased.

"You know, Sasuke," Kabuto broke Sasuke out of his reverie, and into harsh reality. "I think we'll make you walk behind the cart when we reach the plains. You'll look very... humble, following on foot."

Sasuke did not grace Kabuto with a reply, did not even look at him. He heard desire in the mans' voice, but not sexual desire. What Kabuto wanted was for Sasuke to suffer. Despite his claims of wanting to attack Akatsuki to avenge Orochimaru, Kabuto had always blamed Sasuke, and probably found some kind of pleasure in knowing that the young ninja would spend the rest of his life locked up. Somehow, Sasuke heard all of this in the tone of voice Kabuto had adopted of late, and did not care.

* * *

The cart came to a halt at dawn, while the sky was still a blood-stained shade of pink.

Kabuto's men - big, burly, brainless men - dragged Sasuke out of the cart and held him, tightly enough to leave purple fingerprints on his delicate flesh, even though he did not fight them. His arms, which had been tied behind his back, were unbound and brought in front of him. The chakra-constraints were removed briefly, then replaced and the ropes were re-tied tighter than before around his wrists.

By then, Kabuto had woken up and came to check on Sasuke. His bonds had been tied to the cart in a large, complicated knot and in such a way that Kabuto could tug the rope from the cart if he wanted Sasuke to quicken his pace. This incensed Sasuke and wounded his pride, but he refused to demand anything better. Kabuto was visibly disappointed by his prisoners' lack of response, and he embarked upon further attempts to rouse one.

Sasuke - although his instincts were somewhat dulled by the chakra-constraints - sensed Kabuto approaching him from behind, and stiffened despite himself. The medic-nin wrapped his arms around Sasuke, resting his chin on the boys' shoulder, and began to test the rope at Sasuke wrists. Sasuke could feel the bulge of Kabuto's arousal pressing against him, but also recognised that the erection was most likely due to the latters' excitement, not any form of sexual desire.

Nevertheless, he felt disgusted, utterly repulsed at Kabuto's lack of control over himself, and his contempt for the so-called man rose to a new level.

By the time the sun was up, they had approached the edge of the forest. Sasuke knew it would be a matter of hours before they reached the exchange-point and he was 'returned' to the Leaf.

As with any feeling he experienced, Sasuke was unwillingly anxious. A hot, tight bundle of nerves had settled in his core. He would never admit it, but he was truly regretful about his betrayal, or at least the manner of it. If he could have helped it - if he had thought there was any other road he could have taken - he would have, and he knew that, even if he rarely acknowledged its truth. For a month after he had left, his every thought had been an 'if'.

He really was too clever for his own good. What was the use of knowing something - anything - if you couldn't readily accept it? There were too many nougats of knowledge in his head which he refused to support. Like the knowledge that Naruto must truly hate him and long for his death, as he had longed for Itachi's. Having known this for three years, Sasuke was genuinely sorry, and knew it was too late and too little and therefore useless information he would never be able to voice.

The sky was high in the sky, it must have been near midday and Sasuke knew that the swap was scheduled for noon. Kabuto was sitting under the cool canopy of hide in the cart, smiling smugly to himself, his eyes glazed over behind his glasses. The men had become rowdy - they had each been promised a handsome sum for Sasuke safe return to his former comrades, and it was all that kept them from taking out their frustrations on him.

The more rational part of Sasuke reminded him that he was still an Uchiha, and was still to be respected by all, even if he was essentially a criminal. He stood straighter, with his shoulders thrown back, his head held high and his customary stoic expression on his face. It was sweltering hot and suddenly there were no trees to provide shade. Kabuto fanned himself tauntingly, but Sasuke stubbornly refused to allow his envy to show.

In the far distance, he saw a second cart. It was more of a carriage, really, far more sophisticated and comfortable looking than Kabuto rickety old contraption. Instead of animal hide, a graceful arc of leather covered the dark body and there was a section near the front for two people to sit. It was pulled by two smart-looking horses, rahter than an overwieght pony and on the side of the leather roofing, in moss-green, the symbol of the Leaf Village painted.

Sasuke gulped, silently and clandestinely. It was ridiculous to be intimidated by a mere form of transportation, no matter how official it looked. He couldn't even see anyone around it - they must have all been inside the coach - but he imagined his escorts would be like his current ones - strong and over-sized and moronic. It was totally irrational, he _knew_, to be frightened when it was so unlikely that they would harm him, but he was scared, desperately so.

There was a heat on his cheeks and he fought to remain outwardly composed. He was an Uchiha, he was better than most people in every way. He had to remember that, and it had to show on his face. He tilted his head back and took deep, calming breaths as they drew closer and closer. The uncomfortably tight ball of nerves inside him tightened further still and he became aware of some kind of creature in his stomach, fluttering about unceasingly.

Yet, similar to the day before, Sasuke knew that his exterior appearance was as arrogantly confident as ever, that he looked careless and unconcerned and cold. It didn't matter, then, that on the inside he was a wreck, as long as no one could tell.

Kabuto had woken from his daydream and ordered the men to stop the cart. He clambered out, smirked condescendingly at Sasuke, who ignored him, and moved to the front of the contraption. He swapped places with one lackey, and climbed up to sit beside the second. The third appeared seemingly out of nowhere - there were, after all no trees for him to hide in - and joined his companion inside the cart.

Sasuke exhaled slowly and shook his dark hair out of his face, steeling himself for a confrontation with men he had probably never met before, but who were born in the same place as him, and so saw him as a traitor.

* * *

When Kakashi came into view, leaning against the Konoha carriage, Sasuke very nearly stopped dead in his tracks. The only thing that stopped him was the suddenly relentless pace at which they were travelling, which threatened to pull him off his feet and drag him along.

It was completely absurd and horrible and quite simply unexpected. Sasuke might have panicked, if he had been someone else, or if he had been more open. The most he did was widen his eyes, something he was unable to prevent, such was his shock. They were supposed to be meeting an ANBU squad! Kakashi was not ANBU, not anymore, and he couldn't have been reassigned, not with Naruto and Sakura still so unskilled.

It was easier to stop thinking, and so Sasuke concentrated on Kabuto. He had become considerably more animated as they drew closer to Konoha nin. Even from his position trailing behind the cart and with his chakra restrained, Sasuke could sense Kabuto's agitation, and this lent him the confidence necessary to contain himself and remain unruffled.

Much too soon, they had reached the envoy and the cart had come to a standstill. Kabuto disembarked and greeted Kakashi in a completely inappropriate manner - as if they were old friends. Sasuke took a deep breath and adopted his most blandly contemptuous expression as they approached him. Absently, he was aware of more voices; Kabuto's men and Kakashi's fellow Leaf nin. He concentrated on Kabuto and Kakashi's conversation.

"Of course, the men must be paid well, I'm expecting them to go to Sand with me, you see and I -"

"A fee has already been arranged, your 'men' are being paid by my companions. Now." Kakashi cut Kabuto off with a coldness Sasuke had never heard him use before. His chest constricted and he cast his gaze to the direction of the voices. Through half-lidded eyes he took in the unchanged eye of his former mentor. There were no new lines around that lazy, grey eye. Sasuke might have made a sarcastic comment on how young Kakashi looked, if he had been in the mood for speech.

"Sasuke." Kakashi's voice was light, and yet suddenly Sasuke felt very exposed, with the shirt that revealed so much of his chest and his calves so tightly encased. He felt Kakashi's eyes on him, and knew that Kakashi saw much change in him, but did not understand what made him think that. "Well. You're all grown up now, aren't you?"

Kakashi's visible eye had formed the familiar arc that indicated that he wis smiling beneath his mask. That was outrageous! How dare he come face to face with Kakashi after all this time and all the latter could do was smile! Sasuke felt a spark of rage ignite within himself, burning the nerves to ashes and returned Kakashi's remark with a shrug, returning his gaze to the inside of the cart.

"I made him walk, tohught it would inject a little humility into him." Kabuto informed Kakashi in a disgusting, suck-up voice.

"Really? You must not have bonded over your time together very well. If you had, you would realize that Sasuke is almost completely immune to shame."

There was disappointment in Kakashi's voice and the suggestion of suppressed anger, which made it easier for Sasuke to compose himself.

"Come here." Kakashi called to his men. Sasuke directed his gaze towards the new arrivals, the ninja who would take him home.

He was not surprised to see Nara Shikamaru, another of Konoha's geniuses. The lazy boy had grown into a man, although he still looked as he had long ago, just with a few lines at his mouth and a greater stature. He had been the only of the Rookie Nine to be promoted to the rank of Chuunin: it was not impressive that he had further progressed to Jonin, or ANBU. Shikamaru, who had been so close to Naruto, moved forward to untie the rope that connected Sasuke to the cart, and held the rope in his hand, like a leash.

It _was_surprising to see Inuzuka Kiba - and his fully-grown dog Akamaru - join Shikamaru. Where Shikamaru had ignored Sasuke, Kiba sent him resentful stares and was needlessly rough in checking the ropes on his wrists. Sasuke's gaze was suitably frosty as he met the dog-lovers gaze. Kiba had not grown as tall as one might have expected, but he looked even more feral than he had in his younger days, with wilder hair and eyes. Sasuke still thought he was a less attractive, darker, Naruto.

"Thank you, Kabuto." Kakashi said dismissively. "Neji, give him the necessary documents."

Hyuuga Neji was, so-far, the most changed out of Sasuke's former comrades. All that really mattered, though, was that un-nerving, unwavering gaze of his. It rested on Sasuke and seemed to burn through him, and yet Neji remained detached and serene. His touch was indifferent, as he reached inside the pouch around his waist and produced a few sheets of official coloured parchment and held them out disdainfully for Kabuto.

Kabuto laughed aloud in an uncontrollable way, grabbing the papers. He was still chuckling as he climbed into the cart ungracefully. Waving clumsily, but still with an unwarranted confidence, and called out, loudly.

"Thank _you_, Hatake Kakashi! Thank you and you're fellow leaf ninja, for granting me this honour and for awarding my men such fortunes! It is a privilege to return this treacherous whore, and I am sure he will be properly punished for his crimes! Let me saw, before I go, that he deserves to have his throat slit and body dumped in a ditch, where no one will mourn him. I only wish I could attend his execution, which I know will be as brutal and bloody as the murder of my master. Good bye, and good luck!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes scathingly in exasperation. Kabuto couldn't possible have a sense of pride, he was so unrestrained and loud and uncouth, it was deplorable. Rather than feeling offended at the mans' unhidden desire for his death, he found it amusing in a sad sort of way. Kakashi was talking to him, and so he put Kabuto form his mind and listened. Kiba had hold of his shoulders, his nails digging into Sasuke in a way he probably hoped was painful. Shikamaru had hold of his rope, although he didn't seem too concerned about keeping a tight grip - he was defenceless, after all. Neji stood beside Kakashi, silent and alert and aloof.

Now that Kabuto and his accursed cart were riding off into the distance at speed, Sasuke had a clear view of Kakashi's carriage. it was, indeed, of a very high standard, probably newly built. But that wasn't what Sasuke was looking at. At that moment, a new cart was the very least of his worries, because his whole world had been tipped violently upside-down, and he could not let it show on his face.

Sasuke took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders and tilted his head to the side. There was only one thing he could possibly do, it was strangely irresistible.

He smirked into the face of Uzumaki Naruto, the boy who had become the man he had betrayed so completely, and who still wore an expression of young, unplacable rage.


	2. Chapter 2

**Replies to Reviews:**

**Club-of-UchihaElite**: Thank you so much for your review, I found it one of the most constructive of the first few I received.

**Oro-kun**: Thank you for your review. Sasuke will be uke, as was stated in chapter 1, but I hope you continue reading anyway. I don't think he'll be too OOC.

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If I haven't replied to you, I'm sorry. I appreciate every review I get, no matter how long or short (although I do prefer long ones) and I will try to provide feedback.

I'm also grateful to those who added me to their favourites, or put this story on alert, even if they didn't review.

I know the chapters seem a little short, but they will get longer as we go. I'm just trying to create a setting at the moment.

Hope you enjoy.

(I'm sorry for how OOC Kakashi is - it is deliberate - I wanted to try a different approach to him, I apologize if it doesn't work.)

* * *

"You'll walk behind the carriage until we're further into the forest. Once we're there, I have another mission to attend to, it shouldn't last more than three days. Thereafter, you'll ride inside with at least one of us with you..."

Kakashi's word registered in Sasuke's brain, and he briskly deemed them unimportant. In fact, nothing in the world was important, because Naruto was still glowering at him.

The boy - he was really a man, now - had almost changed beyond recognition. True, he still had the same mess of yellow hair, the healthy tan-coloured skin and bright blue eyes, but his face had lost the chubbiness of his youth and was considerably more rugged. He looked as if he had started shaving, even though he was only fifteen. Sasuke, whose genes seemed not to include body hair, was intrigued by Naruto's sudden apparent maturity.

Except, it wasn't sudden, he realized. Naruto had had three years to stew over Sasuke's betrayal, three years to accumulate a sufficient sense of raw, unbridled hurt and anger. Not to mention their brief encounter, when Orochimaru had so rudely interrupted them. At that time, Naruto had still been naive, too naive to be a good ninja; he had still thought Sasuke cared. He was walking towards Sasuke now, and he noted mentally that Naruto had grown taller than him, if only by a few centimetres. He had also broadened at the shoulders to cut an impressive stature, perhaps even a slightly intimidating one to some.

Sasuke, who had had such a sheltered childhood - until he was seven, at least - had always been surrounded by people with dark hair and dark eyes just like his. Because of this, he had always been secretly fascinated with people with brightly coloured eyes.

While he had always turned Sakura, and had never felt any attraction to her, he had quite liked her eyes. They were so vivid, the exact colour of mint; they had captivated him. Orochimaru's eyes, which he had once thought of as gold - and now thought of as piss-coloured - had always somehow mesmerized Sasuke, although it was likely that Orochimaru had performed a jutsu on them to create that effect. The Hyuuga Clan's eyes were also vaguely compelling, less so than the others, because they were similar to the Uchiha all having dark eyes, and so less enigmatic.

No one's eyes compared to Naruto's, though. Sasuke - although he would never admit it - really liked them. When they were younger, he had thought they were blue like the ocean; one minute they were calm and the next there was a storm raging within them. Often, they would kind of glitter and Sasuke would be utterly gobsmacked that someone could have such amazing eyes, and yet no bloodline limit in them. All Naruto's eyes held were hopefulness and ambition and a willingness to love.

Now, they were older and Sasuke hoped Naruto was not so innocent. His eyes had darkened from their azure shade to the colour a sapphires. They also held more than the dreams of his childhood; Sasuke stared into Naruto's eyes and saw poorly suppressed rage, a lack of understanding and a world of hurt.

His smirk widened.

"Well," Naruto said, his voice deeper and more gruff than Sasuke remembered being at their last meeting. The suggestion of aggression sent a shiver up his spine. "don't you have anything to _say_?"

There was desperation hidden under the other layers of Naruto's tone, as if he was wishing that Sasuke would break down, apologize and beg forgiveness. Deep inside him, in the dark recesses of his soul, Sasuke felt the tiniest twinge of guilt. He swiftly covered it up by raising his eyebrows, and smiling defiantly into Naruto's frowning face. He still didn't feel particularly chatty.

"Like, like sorry?" Naruto prompted, his voice raising. Sasuke recalled the quickness of Naruto's temper and decided that that, at least, hadn't changed. A large, brown hand rested on him, at the spot where his neck smoothed into shoulder, and strong fingers squeezed hard and uncomfortably. Kiba moved away to stand with Neji and Kakashi, and Shikamaru released the rope of Sasuke's bonds. Suddenly, both of Naruto's hands were on him, and he was being shaken violently.

Or maybe Naruto was just trembling.

* * *

"You bastard!" Naruto shouted, as loud as he could without alerting enemy nin. "After all this time, we finally get you back, and all you can do is smirk? What's _wrong_ with you? Do you not feel even a little bit bad? Don't you know what you put me through?"

Sasuke's arms felt so frail in his hands. On their last meeting, Sasuke's body had been tight and lean and alabaster. Naruto, naturally, had been rather preoccupied at the time, but when he looked back upon that day and compared that Sasuke to this one, he couldn't deny that Sasuke had grown even more stunningly gorgeous.

His hair, which Naruto had used to tease him about, seemed thicker and even glossier, black as midnight, glinting blue in the sun. His eyes, those slate-coloured eyes, surrounded by long sooty eyelashes, were the same as ever, elegant and astute and beautiful. His finely-boned face, with it's high, regal cheekbones, and powerful jawline, was as delightfully pretty as it always had been, if not more so. He simply couldn't get over the alluring charm of Sasuke's appearance.

He was still mad, though. He was still bitter and hurt and nettled and turbulent on the inside.

He wasn't going to lie to himself, as he knew Sasuke always did. He loved Sasuke, at least as a friend, of not as something more, and it would take a long time for him to fully forgive Sasuke's betrayal. It would take an even longer time, however, if Sasuke didn't wipe that infuriating, smug little smirk off his face. He was going to force Sasuke to eat a generous helping of Humble Pie if it was the last thing he did, Naruto swore.

"Do you _care_?" It was said as a whisper, so that it should only have been between the two of them. But there were four highly-skilled Jonin just feet away, watching, and they definitely heard. They were merely tactful enough not to interrupt.

Sasuke wasn't looking at Naruto. His face was turned away very slightly, his smirk - at least- was gone and he was doing a very efficient job of ignoring Naruto. For his part, Naruto had stopped shaking, he suddenly felt exhausted, weary. For days he had been preparing himself for Sasuke's arrival, had even felt excited at the prospect of their reuniting, but now, having seen that Sasuke had not changed, he just couldn't be bothered.

He released Sasuke's arms and the dark-haired Uchiha looked at him again, his face carefully blank, as always, but with a hint of confusion in his dark gaze. The bastard wouldn't even talk to him, not even to insult him. Naruto sighed and shrugged, turning to his comrades. Kakashi stepped forward - of all the Leaf nin present, only he seemed unperturbed by the suddenly awkward atmosphere.

"So, let's get going. If we get going now, and reach the forest that will take us safely to Konoha by dusk, we can be home in four days." His voice was, as ever, falsely cheery and truly diplomatic. "Naruto, would you tie Sasuke-kun to the back of the carriage? You'll sit up front with me, for now. Come on."

Naruto did as he was bidden, and followed Kakashi to the front of the carriage without even glancing at Sasuke. He climbed up into his seat and leaned back against the cool leather of the coach's canopy. They set off. The horses were strong and young, and moved at a steady pace; not too fast for Sasuke to keep up, but not so slow that he would be enjoying a leisurely stroll. Naruto's conscience was torn in two - a part of him _wanted_Sasuke to be comfortable and not have to rush, the other felt he deserved to be forced to run, or be dragged home.

"So," Kakashi said conversationally. "that didn't go quite as you had expected?"

Naruto sighed, heavily, and shut his eyes. "No. Is it completely unreasonable that I had expected him to feel bad?"

Kakashi, who had always favoured Sasuke, had trained him exclusively during the Chuunin exams, turned to Naruto and waited for him to open his eyes again, before saying, in a slow, serious voice, exactly what he thought.

"Naruto, no, it isn't. Perhaps you should have known not to expect so much from him, but we always hope the ones we love will do what's right. It's harder to love someone who _doesn't _do that, and we don't want loving someone to become a strain. Sasuke is a proud child, he was raised as the second-best child of a perfect family, but a sense of honour has been instilled in him since he was old enough to understand. Before that, even... Admitting he is wrong... It's not something he's used to, but he will, eventually. I know he does feel bad, even if he himself doesn't, and so do you. For now, that has to be all that matters."

"Shit, when did you get all philosophical?" Naruto groaned. Kakashi laughed in absurdly care-free manner.

"I'm sorry; you're right. What I'm trying to say is... well, no, it isn't ridiculous to expect himto feel bad. It would be easier to forgive him if he told you he did. He does, though, deep down. And he will tell you so, one day. At the moment, don't give up on him. He's still our Sasuke. You've held-on for this long to have him home, don't throw away all these years of waiting just because he's too proud to say sorry right away. Okay?"

Naruto smiled, still feeling weirdly light; empty. "Thanks. This must be hard on you too, you've gone all sentimental and everything."

Kakashi's one eye arced in a smile. "Oh really?" He asked humorously.

"Really. How many times did you just use the word love?"

Kakashi laughed, again, and the noise it caused made Naruto that they had been whispering, so as not to be overheard even by his friends. When Kakashi replied, it was still in a low, discreet voice.

"You'r right. It's hard on me, on all of us. I see Sasuke as a son, he reminds me of myself when I was young; just as you remind me of his cousin Obito, and Sakura reminds me of Rin. I remember how I was in my adolescence, and how my sensei - your father - helped me. I had hoped to keep Sasuke safe when Orochimaru first came for him, and so I took up his training for the Chuunin exams, leaving you and Sakura. Needless to say, I failed, not only Sasuke, but both of you as well."

Kakashi took a deep breath and released it as a sigh. For the first time, his age showed. "Seeing him now, and realizing how damaged he probably is, my failure feels even worse. But it's important to me to try to understand him, even if I want to strangle him sometimes. We still love him, don't we? That's what it is, after all, it isn't simple fondness or anything like that, he's a part of our lives, even if he has been missing for so long. And I'm getting old, so I'm bound to be stuck in a state of constant nostalgia most of the time."

Naruto rolled his eyes. He was unsure if Kaksshi was serious or if he was just teasing. It mattered to him to know; he didn't want to undermine Kakashi if he had meant what he said sincerely. They had never bonded, or grown particularly close - Naruto had spent most of his time with Jaraiya after Sasuke had left, and most of the mission they went on required too much energy for them to get to know each other further.

Truthfully, Naruto had always been slightly resentful of the way in which Kakashi - like most everyone else in the village - had showered Sasuke, the tragic little genius that he was, in attention. He often thought that Kakashi had put all of his eggs in one basket with Sasuke, laying all his mopes on the boy and neglecting Naruto and Sakura. When they had been preparing for the third round of the Chuunin exam, Naruto had felt abandoned when Kakashi whisked Sasuke off for private training.

To take his mind off the topic and to stop him moping excessively, he asked Kakashi if he had ever actually fought Orochimaru.

"Nearly." Kakashi replied casually. "After Sasuke fought Yoroi - who was on Kabuto's team, and therefore one of Orochimaru's men, you see - and I took him away. I took him away, so that I could seal the mark Orochimaru had left on him, the Curse Seal. It's an extremely painful sealing, and Sasuke was tired anyway, so he passed out. It turned out Orochimaru had followed us, watched the sealing, and I hadn't even sensed him..." There was bitterness and regret in Kakashi's voice.

"So what happened?" Naruto asked tentatively.

"He wanted Sasuke." Kakashi said, and the bitterness and regret was covered up with a helplessness, a kind of 'what-was-I-supposed-to-do? "I told him if he wanted Sasuke, he'd have to go through me. What else could I do? Let him get what he wanted? Just give up on one of my students? It didn't come to anything, though. Orochiamru left, and I thought Sasuke was safe."

Well, that certainly took his mind off _some_of his worries. Now, however, Naruto was worried about Kakashi, which was ridiculous, because Orochimaru was dead. True, a part of him resided within Sasuke, and Kabuto had absorbed his masters remains, but he wasn't capable of doing any further damage. It was impossible. There was still an inexplicable sense of foreboding nagging at the back of Naruto's mind that he couldn't quite understand, or shake off.

* * *

They moved quickly, and reached a small clearing in the forest Kakashi had mentioned. Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru and Neji unloaded the cart and set up camp. When they were done, Naruto led the carriage to another smaller, more secluded clearing nearby. When he returned, he said that Sasuke would be kept separate, to prevent tensions form rising. His eye rested on Kiba, when he said that.

"I'm travelling east, to deal with a group of forest-folk the Hoakge wants to strike and alliance with. I'll come back late tonight, and leave at dawn. Realistically, I don't think we'll see each other again for three days, when we set off for Konoha. I expect you all to organise yourselves. Someone will have to check on Sasuke and the horses every few hours, make sure they're fed and watered and so on. It's probably best if you set up a rota."

Naruto's stomach tightened at the prospect at being alone with Sasuke.

"Before I go," Kakashi continued, and his voice took on the stony, threatening tone he adopted when he was serious about something. "I expect you all to conduct yourself like mature, elite ninja. You're among the best Konoha has to offer, and just because no one's here to scrutinise your behaviour doesn't give you the excuse to act inappropriately. Don't try anything with Sasuke. I'll know if you do, and you'll regret it. You can settle any problem you have with him when we get home. Not now, when he's defenceless. Understood?"

He had been addressing all of them, but Naruto had the feeling that Kakashi had said at least one thing that was directed straight at each of them individually. The mischievous glint in Kiba's eye had died, he noticed, and his shoulders slackened slightly. Neji and Shikamaru's expressions remained impassive; they were more mature and were not prone to holding petty grudges, anyway. They responded together, efficiently that yes, they did understand.

Satisfied, Kakashi nodded and dissapeared in a flash.

"I'll get up in the morning to tend to the horses and Uchiha." Neji said in his coolly detached voice.

Shikamaru nodded. "I'll go in the afternoon, then."

Kiba huffed and shrugged and said, in a childish, stubborn way; "I guess I'll look after the horses at dusk."

"Good." Naruto said, eyeing Kiba warily. "I don't mind getting up during the night to check on them."

It should have been a shinobi's dream, having three days to relax and do nothing except for tend to their animals. On this occasion, however, they also had an S-rank criminal to keep alive as well, and Naruto had a horrible, sneaky suspicion that if it had been up to Kiba, Sasuke would not be fed or watered for the duration of the mission. Neji, too, seemed to share the same feeling, and voiced it in his gracefully rational way.

"Like Kakashi-san said, now is not the time for petty rivalries. None of us approve of what Uchiha has done, but we can deal with that when we are home, where we can deal with it like men, rather than cowards. As he is now, he is not able to fight back."

"Of course." Naruto replied quickly, before Kiba could argue.

Shikamaru yawned widely and stretched his arms above his head. His expression was free of tension - it was too much of a bother to wish Sasuke ill.

Kiba had changed, they all saw it. The boy who had once had a healthy appetite for competition and a skill in tracking, not to mention a love for his families dogs, had turned into a rather jealous, hostile man. He had nearly lost Chouji in their retrieval mission three years ago,and he had never - most likely would never - forgive Sasuke. It was understandable, would have been tolerable, if he had not turned his new-found aggression on anyone who tried to justify Sasuke's actions.

They had had countless fights - Naruto and Kiba - over the Uchiha. Naruto, ever loyal, claimed that Sasuke was broken and was prone to rash, thoughtless decisions but would never delibarately try to hurt an innocent person. Sometimes, he could not even convince himself of this. Kiba, on the other hand, argued that Sasuke was power-hungry, as bad as his brother, and would do anything - even murder an innocent - to get more power. Kiba's attitude only strengthened Naruto's support of Sasuke's cause.

"So," Shikamaru's lazy voice snapped Naruto from his reverie. "I'll go now and check on them. Kiba can go once the sun's down."

Kiba nodded brusquely and went about setting up camp. Naruto moved over to Neji, smiling, and was granted a short nod in return. The Hyuuga had changed, too, in recent years, but for the better. Where once there had been an angry, harsh boy - so like Sasuke and yet so different - there was now a collected, deductive man who had risen through the ranks thanks to his skill and calmness in battle. Naruto liked the new Neji a lot more than he had the boy he had faced in the Chuunin exams.

"Hey, Neji. How are you?" Naruto grinned, sitting down beside Neji, who shrugged in his impossibly graceful way. "So... what do you think of all this?"

Three years ago, Neji would not even have looked at Naruto, never mind speak to him. Now, he ran his tongue over his teeth, thoughtfully.

"I have given the issue much thought. Of course, no one approves of Uchiha's behaviour, and it will take some time to become accustomed to having him amongst us again. I am angry, but I often wonder if I, put in the same position as Uchiha, would have done any differently. What do _you_ think?"

Naruto was surprised that Neji seemed to have given the issue some thought, that his response was so balanced, and that he had engaged Naruto in conversation. He seemed, amazingly, to care what Naruto thought. Neji saw these thoughts flash across Naruto's face, and smiled.

"You know him better than anyone alive, I think. It makes sense that one would seek your opinion, if they truly want to understand Uchiha's motive. So, Naruto, what is your answer?"

"I... don't know." That was a lie. He did know, or thought he did, but he wanted to sound smart in front of Neji. "He has to make up for what he's done. He has to apologize, and he has to mean it, but Sasuke isn't the kind of person you can rush that sort of thing out of. But we can't blame him. I know he's a genius and all that, but he can be really dumb sometimes, there's still a lot of stuff he doesn't get. Like friendship. He still doesn't get that."

"You've certainly grown up, Naruto. _You _seem to... get stuff. I suppose it shall be up to you to teach Uchiha how to 'get' them, too."

* * *

Nightfall came quickly and Neji was the first to retire. Kiba returned from his shift with Sasuke and engaged Shikamaru in a game of cards. The three men sat around the softly glowing camp-fire in relative peace. All of them had napped shortly during the day, except from Naruto, who was too restless at his impending, private confrontation with Sasuke.

Kiba had calmed down considerably. He had, it would seem, put aside his differences with Sasuke and opted to pretend Sasuke was not really with them. No one else had mentioned him. Because of this, Naruto had been unable to talk to Shikamaru as he had spoken to Neji earlier. It was important to him to gain the opinion of those he respected, whose opinions he valued, such as Kakashi, Neji and Shikamaru - all exceptional ninja. He had not decided whether also to talk to Kiba.

The night around them was pitch black. While the night had been setting, there had been fireflies, which had offered some amusement, to Naruto at least. The fire cast a surprisingly subtle, welcoming red glow that threw amber light over the camp, before the forest disappeared into midnight.

There were butterflies - or perhaps fireflies - in Naruto's stomach, throwing one hell of a party. They made Naruto feel sick and made it impossible for him to calm himself as he waited. The second clearing was near enough for them to hear the occasional sigh of a horse, the clink of their reins and bits and stamp of their hooves. In any other scenario, this might have added to a peaceful atmosphere. As things were, they only made Naruto more impatient.

Kiba said he had built a small fire in the clearing, to keep the horses warm. Naruto wondered if Sasuke was afraid of the dark, and then smacked himself, mentally, for being such a moron.

He stood.

"I... I'll go, now." He said and was surprised to hear his own voice shaking. Neither Kiba nor Shikamaru noticed however, and did not even look up from their card game.

"If we're asleep when you get back, clear up, okay?" Shikamaru said indifferently. It suggested that he expected Naruto to be gone a long time, but was not an accusation. Naruto nodded and set off. He did not let out a breath until he could not see. He felt his way to a smaller, second source of life and stopped.

Bizarrely, Naruto had the feeling that his whole life had been leading up to this moment. He felt more optimistic, but at the same time, he desperately did not want to go any further. It was unbelievable, preposterous, but he couldn't deny that he was madly in love with Sasuke, at the _very _least as a comrade, and that if he wanted to mend the frayed bonds between them, he had to go and be forcefully gentle, and get Sasuke to talk to him.

The clearing in which the carriage was kept was cosy. The horses had been let out and were tied by a length of rope to it. They stood closely together, grazing peacefully. Naruto loved those horses, had wanted to ride them when he first saw them, before he remembered his rank and had had the decency to be abashed by his child-like enthusiasm. One lifted its head to look at him with dark, doe-like eyes, before returning to the grass.

The fire was set in the centre of the clearing, and was carefully built. It was highly unlikely to start a forest fire, or that the horses would be hurt by it. It was small, but still gave off a generous light and a cage of sticks and rocks prevented it from spreading. There was also a small bucket of spring water sat beside it, too small for the horses to be able to drink from (although they had obviously tried, before a larger bucket was provided specifically for them).

Sasuke stood, tied on a shorter, tougher piece of rope to the carriage. His back was to Naruto and his shoulders had tensed briefly before relaxing again.

"What did he do?" Naruto snarled, not moving forward yet.

Sasuke's shirt - the one that revealed so much of his lovely, toned chest - had been ripped to shreds. His shoulders - so pale and elegant, glowing ethereally in the fire light - were exposed, concealed only by the occasional rag of white linen. Naruto could see the suggestion of shoulder blades and the beginning of the Uchiha's back. He imagined, logically, that more of Sasuke's chest would be visible, too. He could not imagine what Kiba had gotten out of ruining Sasuke's shirt.

Sasuke turned his head in acknowledgment. His high, regal cheekbones were more pronounced than ever; the fire casting deep shadows in the contours of his face. Naruto moved forth swiftly, nearly stumbled, and rested a hand on Sasuke's icy cold, bare shoulder. He leaned over that shoulder to talk to Sasuke.

"Kiba," he said, his voice suddennly rasping. "did he hurt you? Or did he just tear your shirt up?"

Sasuke sighed a little, and turned his head again, so that silky, tickling ebony hair brushed Naruto's face. Glancing down, Naruto made a mental note that Sasuke's chest was further shown, thanks to Kiba. He might have become sidetracked, staring at the wonderfully sculpted, impossibly cold torso, but Sasuke's continued rudeness had him all fired up. He paced around, so he was chest-to-chest with Sasuke and only half a foot stopped them from touching.

"We're alone here, Sasuke. You don't need to ignore me. Please. Just... nod or shake your head. Did he hurt you?"

Sasuke's eyes travelled slowly over Naruto's face, though he still did not turn to face him fully. Those eyes, which showed and hid a multitude of emotion, were blank, save for a vague interest. Sasuke considered him for a few minutes, before rolling those delectable shoulders and shaking his head with slow, careful grace. His long, dark bangs swayed slightly, obscuring his face until he stopped. Then, he turned to look Naruto full in the face, the hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

The butterflies who had briefly stopped their party in Naruto's belly, fluttered uncontrollably when Naruto realized how perfectly easy it would be to lean forward, now, and kiss Sasuke's pretty mouth. Or even his cheeks, nose, brow... Naruto didn't care, didn't care if his desire showed on his face and Sasuke saw it and shied from Naruto because of it. He just needed a way to display his emotion to Sasuke, and to know if it was in any way mutual.

"Good. Good." Naruto smiled, breathlessly relieved. Sasuke looked away again, looking disinterested. "Bastard." Naruto half-laughed in a whisper before dipping down and forward, and pressing his mouth to the side of Sasuke's neck, near where it smoothed out into shoulder. He felt Sasuke tense and emit a soft, quivering breath and pulled away, suddenly standing much closer to Sasuke, who had to look up very slightly, to meet Naruto's eyes.

Sasuke's gaze was challenging, which Naruto took as a promising sign.

"I suppose Kiba didn't give you food, either. Do you want some water?"

Saskuke didn't respond, he was still assessing Naruto with dark, burning eyes. Naruto moved to retrieve the bucket by the fire, which was smaller and more manageable. He felt oddly light; the butterflies were gone, and had been replaced by a longing eagerness to touch Sasuke again. The water slopped as he pranced back to Sasuke and held the bucket up to his mouth.

The Uchiha drank greedily, water spilled down his chin and ran rivers on his chest. Naruto's eyes became fixated on Sasuke's body; on the streams that had formed, passing over his chest and tight, toned stomach. Sasuke's bound hands raised and he pushed the bucket away gently, wiping his mouth as best he could with his fists, which drew Naruto's attention back to the others face. Sasuke smirked condescendingly at Naruto and a wet, pink tongue poked out to lick his lips in a seemingly empty gesture.

Naruto couldn't help himself - he leaned in again and kissed Sasuke's neck again. His mouth was higher this time; he could lick at Sasuke's pulse and make it throb at varying speeds. He kissed up and sucked briefly on Sasuke's strong, defined jaw and felt the cheeks being sucked in slightly and the jaw being tensed and relaxed alternatively. He smiled, hoping Sasuke would feel it, and pulled away. Sasuke was staring into the blackness of the forest, his eyes glazed over but still passionately lit.

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered, raising a trembling hand. His nerves had been gone one moment ago, and yet he couldn't stop shaking. He stroked Sasuke's face with the back of his hand, until the other boy - with some reluctance - looked back at him. His face looked slightly flushed and his cheeks were pleasantly warm beneath Naruto's touch. The mouth was still shut, but less tightly, more invitingly. Naruto felt Sasuke's sanguine gaze drop to his own mouth, and then lift to his hair.

Naruto began to close in yet again, when something hard and wet was pushed into his hands. Sasuke was holding the bucket with some difficulty, considering his hands were all tied up. He pushed it against Naruto again.

"He, okay, two minutes." Naruto chuckled, taking the water back to the fire. One of the horses walked towards him and he stroked it's long, lean face lovingly. It's muzzled him, nodding its large head and then moved slowly away again. "Now. Where were we?"

He was in front of Sasuke again, with his hands holding the others shoulders tenderly. He moved closer, and pulled the suddenly pliant Sasuke towards him, until their chests were touching. He found some sense of satisfaction in the way Sasuke's eyes lifted to look him in the face, and lost it again when the Uchiha became unhelpful again, refusing to lift his whole face. Naruto's smile widened to a grin and he wrapped Sasuke tighter in his embrace.

Those sweet, unsmiling lips were so inviting, begging to be kissed; ravished. Naruto swooped down, and found himself kissing Sasuke's neck yet _again_. Sasuke had wriggled against him and turned his head as far as he could, peering at Naruto from the side of his eye.

"What?" Naruto asked, desperate. "What is it?"

Sasuke still refused to speak, and instead turned and pulled until Naruto released him. He walked as far away as he could while tied to the carriage. He turned his back on Naruto and continued to stare off into the distance. Naruto's fists clenched at his side. He took a step towards Sasuke, and stopped himself.

"I'll be back tomorrow, same time." He said, and the hurt was horribly obvious in his voice. Sasuke inclined his head, to indicate that he was listening; that he was maybe interested in seeing Naruto tomorrow, at the same time. It was a small consolation. "I'll see to it that Kiba doesn't get away with whatever he tried with you. And I'll make sure you get some food. Goodnight."

He backed out of the clearing slowly, looking back only once. Sasuke's back was still rigidly straight and he didn't move a muscle. Sighing, Naruto turned his own back on Sasuke and felt his way back to camp. In the velvety darkness, he still failed to understand the level of Sasuke's willingness, and the swiftness with which his normally icy, stoic persona returned. All he really understood was that he wanted to kiss Sasuke again, and then take him home and do more.

He wanted to make Sasuke love him back.

* * *

Moving quickly, much?

Sadly (or maybe not) this will be a fairly quickly paced story. Not too quick, though. Em, yeah.

So... I feel like I've updated quite fast, and even though I still only have a few reviews for the first chapter, I hope to receive more. I don't think I'll be able to update til' Sunday at earliest, but who knows? Maybe before that. I know where this story is going, so there shouldn't be any major delays.

As before, I've spell-checked thoroughly, but if I've made any mistakes, let me know and I'll fix them.

Also, I'm very sorry if the characters are OOC. Kakashi certainly is, although i don't know if the change has been effective. I want them all to seem older, but Naruto still going to be pretty goofy. I hope.

Please, please, please review, I thrive on them no matter how short or critical. I love feedback and hope to receive some. Please?


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